Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL) on Friday suggested that Syrian refugees are just trying to come to the United States for a “paid vacation,” noting how much the federal government spends to resettle refugees.
“We’re paying them about $15,000 a year in free health care, free food, free shelter, free clothing, free transportation,” Brooks said on the Dale Jackson Show, according to audio posted by ThinkProgress. “That answers very quickly why so many of them want to come to the United States of America.”
“Were paying them to come here,” he continued. “It’s a paid vacation!”
Brooks also argued that Islam is a violent religion that inspires terrorists, lamenting that President Obama avoids linking terrorism directly to the Muslim faith.
“This is not radical Islam. This is fundamentalist Islam,” the congressman said. “I think you can make a very compelling argument that these terrorists are doing exactly what the Koran tells them to do.”
He added that “there is a large segment of the Muslim population that is not engaged in terrorism but who is morally in support of what these terrorists are doing.”
Brooks then suggested that Democrats favor allowing Muslim refugees and immigrants to enter the U.S. because they are afraid of losing votes.
